Goa, Nov 21: The 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India has gotten off with a grand opening ceremony at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, in Panaji, Goa on November 20, 2021.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur disclosed that one line that had gone on to be etched in his memory was from Shimit Amin’s superhit film ‘Chak De India’, starring Shah Rukh Khan.
“Mujhe koi state ka naam sunai nahi deta hai, na dikhai deta hai, sirf ek mulk ka naam: India. Chak de India,” Thakur repeated his famous line to the thunderous applause of the audience.
ये हाथ मुझे दे दे ठाकुर …
I &B मंत्री @ianuragthakur का एक अंदाज।
Goa फ़िल्म फेस्टिवल में।। pic.twitter.com/ruQtEE19hB— Ravindra Singh (@ravindrak2000) November 21, 2021
Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports was engaged in a conversation with show host Karan Johar at the inaugural ceremony of the 52nd IFFI. It was at Karan’s prodding that he repeated the iconic line, after stating that it would be improper to quote just one dialogue in a country that had more than a billion people.
Anurag Thakur added, do get embedded in people’s memories and one of them definitely was what was spoken by Shah Rukh Khan’s character in ‘Chak De India’.
Also Read: Giant Hogwarts Castle cake Weighing 100 kg Donated on Harry Potter Film’s 20th Anniversary
As the country celebrates the 75th year of our hard-earned freedom, with Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav flags swaying in every state of the country, 75 young aspiring filmmakers have been handpicked from across the country to attend IFFI as special guests. The names of the winners have been announced at the opening ceremony today.
Speaking about the novel initiative, the Minister said: “For the first time ever, we are recognizing and mentoring promising 75 young minds, as we celebrate 75 years of India’s independence. They have been chosen by the grand jury and selection jury after a meticulous selection process.”
The Minister informed that the youngest candidate is just sixteen years old and that the list of 75 budding artists includes many who have been selected from various small towns and cities of India.
Speaking about the many firsts of the 52nd International Film Festival, the Secretary informed that for the first time ever, films from five BRICS nations, namely Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, and of course India will be showcased through the BRICS Film Festival alongside IFFI. Further, as opposed to the precedent of a Country in Focus, the five BRICS countries are all focus countries at IFFI 52, allowing film lovers to be inspired by the cinematic excellence and contributions of all five countries.
Also Read: Documentary Film To Be Made On “Heroic Village” In Arunachal
The Secretary informed that for the first time in the history of IFFI, all major OTT platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Sony, and others, are participating in the film festival through exclusive Masterclasses, content launches and previews, curated film package screenings, and various other on-ground and virtual events. “The participation of OTT platforms will become a regular feature in future.”
The Secretary recalled that film lovers could gather together at the opening ceremony since the nation has been able to attain the stupendous achievement of administering 1.16 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses in a period of six months.
